MT-A125 Seminar in Mathematics: Infinity, the Fourth Dimension, Primes and Chaos: Mathematical Thinking in the Real World
Homework Assignments
Assigned homework is listed here with most recent homework listed first:
For Friday December 3 (you will give brief presentations that day): Creative project on Fractals and/or Chaos fourth is due. This can be any creative work. You must also turn in a 300-word essay explaining your work, how it relates to the fourth dimension, and why you chose to create your particular project.
Due Monday November 15: Find online a favorite starting pattern for the Game of Life and also create your own interesting starting pattern. Write a paragraph explaining why you chose these patterns
Due Monday October 25, 2004:Write a page or so on each of the two readings on other dimensions:
describe life in Flatland (the inhabitants, their customs, episodes in their history); and
outline the plot of the short story "-- And He Built a Crooked House ---" by Robert A. Heinlein; make connections with our study of the fourth dimension.
For Friday October 29 (you will give brief presentations that day): Creative project on the fourth dimension is due. This can be any creative work. You must also turn in a 300-word essay explaining your work, how it relates to the fourth dimension, and why you chose to create your particular project.
Mindscapes: do all of I, then II: 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15; III: 16, 18; IV: 21
Turn in a solution to 8 (due Wednesday October 13)
Section 4.3
Mindscapes: do all of I, then II: 6, 7, 8, 13; III: 16, 20; IV: 22; V: one of 23, 25 or 26 (due Monday October 11)
Section 4.2
Mindscapes: do all of I, then II: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15; III: 16, 19; IV: 21, 22
Turn in a solution to 10; also color the vertices and show the positions of cameras needed to view the entire gallery (due Wednesday October 6)
Section 4.1
Mindscapes: do all of I, then II: 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15; III: 16, 20; IV: 21, 22
Turn in a group solution to one of 13, 15, 20, 21 (due Monday October 4)
Section 3.3
Mindscapes: do all of I, then II: 6, 7, 9, 12, 13, 14; III: 16, 20; IV: 22
Read the questions about infinity on page 174. Write a 300 word reflection on infinity - what are the most interesting or surprising discoveries of this chapter? (Due Monday October 4)
Section 3.2
Mindscapes: do all of I, then II: 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, (16-17), 20, 21, 24; III: 26, 27, 28, 31, 32; IV: 36, 39; V: one of 41, 43 or 44 (due Monday September 27)
Section 3.1
Mindscapes: think about all of I - IV
Section 2.6
Mindscapes: do all of I, then II: 6, 8, 9, 12, 16; III: 26, 29; IV: 36, 40
Section 2.5
Mindscapes: do all of I, then II: 6-15; III: 16-18; IV: 22; V: one of 23, 25 or 26 (due Monday September 20)
Section 2.4
Mindscapes: do all of I, then II: 6, 10, 13, 17, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24; III: 26, 29, 31, 32, 34, 35; IV: 38, 39, 40
Section 2.3
Mindscapes: do all of I, then one of II: 6-10, one of II: 11-15, one of II: 16-20, and one of II:21-25
Write a paper of 300 words or more on one of the open problems on primes. Discuss its history and any related interesting information. Be sure to list all sources. First draft due Friday September 10; final draft due Wednesday September 15.
Section 2.2
Mindscapes: do all of I, then II: 6, 7, 8, 15, 16, 18-23; III: 26, 29, 31-33; V: one of 41, 43 or 44 (due Friday September 3)
Turn in Mindscape II: 8 on Wednesday September 8
Section 2.1
Mindscapes: do all of I, choose one from II:6 - 10, one from II:11 - 15, one from III, IV.21, IV.22. Add the following sequences to problem IV.21: (b) OTTFFSSEN... and (c) JFMAMJ...
Section 1.4
Due Monday August 30: Write a solution to your favorite puzzle in section 1.4. Explain why you chose this puzzle.
Section 1.1
Work on the stories not discussed in class (omit Story 7). You will takes turns presenting your solutions and ideas.